BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Hayden Hawks on the Black Canyon 100K & Western States (Ep.41)
When a 15-year-old Hayden Hawks first learned about the Western States 100, he knew that he would someday get into running ultras, and it became his dream to race Western States. Fast forward 14 years later, and the now-29-year-old Hayden Hawks is a world-class runner, he’s just won the Black Canyon 100k, and he’s qualified to race Western States this June. So we talked to Hayden about his Black Canyon 100 win and the specific lessons he learned there. And we discuss his trajectory from running track in high school to where he is today, and more.
Blister Speaker Series 2.5: Tommy Caldwell (Ep.120)
Last week at Western Colorado University, we talked to Tommy Caldwell about speed climbing & setting the speed record on the Nose with Alex Honnold; strength vs. experience; how he focuses on climbing projects while also having more disparate responsibilities than ever; and how and why he’s become increasingly involved with environmental causes; and more.
2021-2022 Prior Northwest 110
Last year Prior’s Northwest 110, a fairly heavy, strong, yet playful-looking ski, earned our “Dying to Try It” award, and now having spent a good chunk of time on it, we’re very glad we did, in fact, get to try it. Check out our full review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Deep Dive: Prior Northwest 110
We compare the Northwest 110 to the Prior CBC, ON3P Jeffrey 108, K2 Reckoner 112, ON3P Woodsman 108, Moment Wildcat 108, Icelantic Nomad 105, Moment Deathwish, Blizzard Rustler 11, Kye Shapes Metamorph, Nordica Enforcer 110, K2 Mindbender 108Ti, Black Crows Atris, & Faction Prodigy 4.0.
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La Sportiva Bushido II
The La Sportiva Bushido II is designed for fast running on the most technical of terrain, but it’s also supposed to be more versatile and comfortable than the previous iteration. So … is it? Check out our full review.
Flash Review: 20/21 Blizzard Cochise 106
Update 3.2.20: we have a very exciting update on the new Cochise 106.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Flash Review: 20/21 Dynastar M-Pro 99
Check out our initial on-snow impressions of the new M-Pro 99.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
To get our comprehensive Deep Dives and our initial, unfiltered reports on new gear, become a member and receive many other services, deals, and discounts.
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Win any Insulated Jacket from Strafe
Enter for your chance to win any insulated jacket from Strafe!
2021-2022 Kye Shapes Metamorph
The Metamorph is the “all-mountain” ski in Kye Shapes lineup, and we think it could really appeal to the right skiers. Check out our full review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Voormi Merino Wool Layer Roundup
We’ve been using several of Voormi’s merino wool layers this year, for everything from winter running to ski touring to around town, and have come away impressed by their versatility and overall performance.
Ski Wax & Waxing Skis: What You Need to Know (Ep.89)
We talk with Graham Lonetto, the Alpine Director for the USA at Swix — the company that invented color-coded waxes, and one of the largest manufacturers of ski wax in the world — about different types of waxes and application methods; the most common mistake made when ski waxing; the FIS’s ban on fluorocarbons in waxes; and more.
Deep Dive: Kye Shapes Metamorph
We compare the Metamorph to the Prior CBC, Icelantic Nomad 105, Icelantic Nomad 115, Moment Deathwish, Moment Wildcat, Blizzard Rustler 11, Faction Prodigy 4.0, Nordica Enforcer 115 Free, Nordica Enforcer 110 Free, DPS Foundation Koala 119, Rossignol BLACKOPS Gamer, Dynastar M-Free 118, Volkl Revolt 121, Faction Candide 4.0.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
To get our comprehensive Deep Dives and our initial, unfiltered reports on new gear, become a member and receive many other services, deals, and discounts.
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2021-2022 Nordica Enforcer 94
As many companies seem to be doing for 20/21, Nordica is updating many of their popular skis. The new Enforcer 94 takes much of the old Enforcer 93’s design and adds a few interesting changes — check out our First Look and Flash Review for more.
Flash Review: 20/21 Nordica Enforcer 94
Check out our initial on-snow impressions of the new Enforcer 94.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
To get our comprehensive Deep Dives and our initial, unfiltered reports on new gear, become a member and receive many other services, deals, and discounts.
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Drilling for Oil under Moab’s Slickrock Trail? (Ep.16)
Recently, a preliminary proposal from the Bureau of Land Management was put forward to auction the right to drill for oil and natural gas under Moab’s Slickrock Trail, one of the most famous mountain bike trails in the world. How is this possible? And what should each of us be doing to protect our trails? For answers to these questions and to learn what exactly happened with Slickrock Trail, we talked to Ashley Korenblat, the founder of Public Land Solutions.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Doug Chadwick on Our Need for a New Understanding of Nature (Ep.173)
This week we discuss grizzlies, whales, microbes, humankind, & the future of the world with the wildlife biologist & author, Doug Chadwick. All of these are topics in Doug’s excellent new book, Four Fifths a Grizzly: A New Perspective on Nature that Just Might Save Us All.
Shimano ME7 Clipless Shoes
Shimano’s ME7 is a clipless trail shoe that’s meant to be up for a bit of anything, so how well does it live up to Shimano’s claims about its versatility? Check out our review to find out.
Current State of Helmet Tech, pt. 4: POC (Ep.152)
We talk with the Head of Product at POC, Oscar Huss, about headforms — the things they stick into helmets to mimic your head before smashing up helmets in testing; the numerous variables that need to be considered when setting up a way to test “safety”; the different considerations that go into designing kids helmets; and more.
Win Shoes from Hoka
This week the winner will get Hoka’s brand-new Zinal running shoes!
2021-2022 RMU Apostle 3.0 106
The revised Apostle 3.0 106 is an exceptionally maneuverable and playful ski, but also one that certain skiers could really love for skiing fast and dynamically all over the mountain. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Bikes vs. Skis, 3rd Edition (2021): Part 2 (Ep.72)
Which ski brand is most similar to Transition? Guerrilla Gravity? Specialized? Which bike company is most like K2? ON3P? Moment? We answer all of these questions and more in Part 2 of Bikes vs. Skis. Check it out — and let us know your answers.
Women’s Rain Jacket Roundup — 2021
A reliable, packable rain jacket is always nice to have — especially when you never really know what the weather is going to throw at you. We’ve been testing five women’s rain jackets (plus one for kids) and in this roundup, we discuss what sets each one apart.
Men’s Mountain Bike Shorts Roundup — 2021
These days “mountain bike shorts” can be a lot of things, from highly-technical pieces with fancy fabrics and bike-specific fits to more casual options that look good on or off the bike. We’ve been testing 10 options across the whole spectrum, and you can check out our latest roundup here.
Flash Review: 21/22 DPS Pagoda 106 C2
We got some days on the latest version of DPS’s 106 C2 shape, this time with their new Pagoda construction. Check out our initial thoughts.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
To get our comprehensive Deep Dives and our initial, unfiltered reports on new gear, become a member and receive many other services, deals, and discounts.
If you’re already an active member, please log in.
(If you’re already logged in and a member in good standing and seeing this message in error, please refresh this page in your browser.)
Your Insurance Probably Sucks. Spot Can Change That. (Ep.172)
If you’re reading this, then you need to listen to this episode. Because many of us in the outdoor community either don’t have insurance, or have deductibles that we can barely afford to pay when the inevitable accident happens. But Spot is disrupting the insurance industry with a hard-to-believe alternative that is actually affordable. We sat down with the co-founder and CEO of Spot, Matt Randall, to discuss exactly how Spot works; why the insurance industry is such a mess; and why we think you and pretty much everyone you know ought to be covered by Spot.
Stuff We Like: June 2021
We’re back with this month’s edition of “Stuff We Like.” The June version includes everything from bandanas to MTB pedals to kayak paddles and much more.
Current State of Helmet Tech, pt. 3: Pret (Ep.151)
We talk with the president & CEO of Pret Helmets about the “dart test” portion of the safety certification process; the prospects of implementing customizable helmet liners; why Pret places such an emphasis on ventilation; and more.